Campaign Finance (Super PACs)

News about Campaign Finance (Super PACs), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 31, 2015

Billionaires Charles G and David H Koch are working to change public perceptions of themselves, their family and Republican party following two presidential elections in which Democrats have portrayed them as representative of secretive elite; brothers have allied themselves with liberal causes such as criminal justice reform, while still raising large sums to defeat Democrats in 2016; critics charge populist gestures are cynical and self-serving. MORE

Jul. 30, 2015

Virginia Gov Terry McAuliffe's political action committee says it will return $25,000 donation from Glinn USA Investments because company will not affirm its legality; reticence is likely due to company's ties with Sonogol, Angola's state-owned oil company. MORE

Jul. 26, 2015

Editorial suggests that Internal Revenue Service commissioner John Koskinen's announcement to House committee that tax code will not be changed in 2016 to address campaign finance is surrender; maintains IRS should be rigorous in enforcing law that prevents political organizations from making fake claims that they are social welfare organizations. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Op-Ed article by Prof Lawrence Lessig notes that American voters view campaign finance as primary issue in presidential campaign and several candidates have proposed constitutional amendment to reform current system; warns that constitutional reform is non-starter given considerable obstacles to any amendment; suggests best way to change system is to institute public financing for political campaigns. MORE

Jul. 17, 2015

Jul. 16, 2015

Campaign filings reveal that less than one-fifth of $47.5 million Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign has raised has come from donations of $200 or less, which could represent financial and strategic liability; proportion of small donations is smaller than that of both her Democratic and Republican rivals, and could undercut her campaign theme of fighting for those who have been negatively affected by economy. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo has received around $5 million in campaign contributions so far in 2015, despite his consistently dropping approval ratings. MORE

Jul. 15, 2015

Group of conservatives and liberals files suit to overturn 1996 decision by New York State Board of Elections that allows limited-liability companies to donate same amount of money to political candidates as individual donors; so called LLC loophole has been subject of criticism and scrutiny for years. MORE

Jul. 11, 2015

Jeb Bush publicly embraces his family's dynasty as hundreds of donors to his 2016 presidential campaign gather at Bush family's Maine compound in Kennebunkport; financial profiles of guests represent the breadth and depth of the campaign funding operation that Bush hopes will defeat his rivals. MORE

Jul. 10, 2015

Jeb Bush announces that he has raised over $114 million for his presidential campaign in last six months, far more than all other Republican hopefuls combined; Bush personally raised most of money through a super PAC, which he was allowed to do before officially announcing his candidacy, and much of it came from $1 million donations; announcement illustrates continued influence of Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. MORE

Jul. 6, 2015

Internal Revenue Service is not expected to curb activities of increasing number of so-called social welfare nonprofit groups, created to raise funds for presidential candidates, until after 2016 election; such nonprofits, unlike super PACs, are not required to disclose where donations are coming from. MORE

Jul. 5, 2015

Ana Marie Cox Talk interview with Dinesh D'Souza, Indian American conservative political commentator, who discusses being imprisoned for violating campaign finance law and how it affected his view of prison system. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Sen Marco Rubio, Republican presidential hopeful with no natural national base of support to draw on, puts all of his focus on fundraising, and has some very generous benefactors, like billionaire auto dealer Norman Braman; also has made inroads with Mitt Romney’s fundraising operation, which raised $1 billion in 2012 presidential campaign. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

Data collected by watchdog group Center for Responsive Politics shows Democratic fund-raising has changed dramatically since Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid, veering more toward party's liberal wing; shift is boon for Clinton's primary rivals, like Sen Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Clinton's campaign and speeches suggest she is focusing on issues that appeal to grass-roots donors. MORE

Jun. 29, 2015

Editorial calls on Pres Obama, to move forward with reported plans to issue executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose donations to political candidates; argues that move would help stem torrent of 'dark' money to campaign accounts in 2016 election; also calls on him to block any anti-disclosure legislation from House Republicans as they attempt to roll back the few positive elements of Citizens United decision. MORE

Jun. 25, 2015

Most 2016 presidential candidates are opening campaign stores that sell products supporting them,and because candidates are not allowed to sell items for personal profit, sales are considered donations to the campaign. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Several Republican politicians have received campaign contributions from Earl Holt III, leader of white supremacist group Council of Conservative Citizens, which has been linked to Charleston, SC, murder suspect Dylann Roof; among recipients are 2016 presidential contenders Rick Santorum, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, who says he will return $8,500 in donations from Holt. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

United States attorney's office in Kansas says federal investigation into loans made to re-election campaign of Gov Sam Brownback by his Lt Gov Jeff Colyer will result in no charges; Colyer made three loans totaling $1.5 million in 2013 and 2014. MORE

Jun. 13, 2015

Political Memo; about 250 Republican donors once loyal to former presidential hopeful Mitt Romney descend on annual retreat in Park City, Utah, in effort to assess crowded GOP field for 2016 presidential race and decide who they are going to back. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Eduardo Porter Economic Scene column examines trends showing corporate donations should no longer be primary target of campaign finance reform; observes some 28 public companies have agreed to disclose political spending following push by New York State Comptroller Thomas P DiNapoli, undercutting their perceived eagerness to control elections; holds greater danger is from extremely wealthy individuals with clear ideological preferences. MORE

Jun. 9, 2015

Examination of campaign disclosure records for New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E Heastie suggests that he has often used political donations to enhance his lifestyle; donations have helped fix his car, sponsor nights in a karaoke bar with staff, and pay for restaurant and nightclub bills; state law prohibits use of campaign money for personal purposes, but Heastie has not been accused of any illegal activity. MORE

Jun. 4, 2015

Former Florida Gov Jeb Bush is testing limits of election laws governing when presidential candidacy must be declared, and thus subject to fund-raising, spending and disclosure rules; some election experts say Bush has been over candidacy threshold for months; Bush claims still to be 'testing the waters' despite hiring political team and raising tens of millions of dollars. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

New York Times/CBS News poll finds deep bipartisan support in American electorate for overhauling financing of political campaigns and for new measure to restrict influence wealthy donors have in politics; significant margin of those polled disagree with argument used by Supreme Court in its Citizens United ruling. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Democratic super PAC Priorities USA is seeking deep-pocketed donors in effort to raise $300 million for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential bid, far larger number than Democrats are accustomed to raising; effort is being driven by need to match hundreds of millions of dollars already given by Republican donors. MORE

May. 31, 2015

Editorial points to Jeb Bush's strategy of blatantly raising money through super PAC, which he justifies by saying he has not declared his candidacy for president, as example of why Justice Dept should monitor relationship between candidates and PACs; suggests that Federal Election Commission has abdicated its responsibility. MORE

May. 28, 2015

Nicholas Kristof Op-Ed column notes problems related to campaign finance transparency have become endemic in American politics, and blames perverse incentives, rather than individuals; points out familiar problem has grown far worse amid preponderance of billionaires and super PACs they fund; calls on Pres Obama to issue executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose all political contributions ahead of 2016 presidential election. MORE

May. 27, 2015

Editorial calls on New York State Legislature to regain focus in wake of scandals involving leaders of each house; recommends several issues that require its attention, including control of New York City's school system, adolescents in adult jails, campaign finance loopholes, affordable housing, Dream Act and taxation. MORE

May. 24, 2015

Editorial points to lack of complaint among Republican presidential contenders about way Sen Marco Rubio is receiving outsize financial support from Florida billionaire Norman Braman as indication of how deeply normalized big-money politics have become; calls on lawmakers to pass bill in Congress that would address undue influence super PACs have on political process. MORE

May. 20, 2015

Sen Kelly Ayotte, New Hampshire's highest-ranking republican, is joining many top Republican lawmakers in urging Rep Frank Guinta of New Hampshire to resign in wake of his settlement for 2010 campaign finance violation; Guinta says he will remain in his seat. MORE

May. 18, 2015

Contenders in 2016 presidential election are exploiting regulatory gray areas and loopholes in unprecedented ways, transforming how campaigns are organized and paid for; campaigns for Democrats like Hillary Rodham Clinton and Republicans like Jeb Bush have become constellation of political committees, super PACs and tax-exempt groups, engineered to avoid fund-raising restrictions and to shift cost to outside organizations. MORE

May. 17, 2015

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column notes common theme in 2016 presidential race is one of extraordinary greed and an inability to truly understand the economic humility underlying phrase 'public service'; argues magnitude of personal wealth that most current candidates have, or are connected to as they amass campaign donations, makes their words about understanding the lives of everyday Americans truly ring hollow. MORE

May. 10, 2015

Review of relationship between Sen Marco Rubio and Miami businessman, billionaire auto dealer Norman Braman, shows Braman has been integral to both Rubio's personal and political life; Braman is set to become single largest donor to Rubio's presidential campaign. MORE

May. 10, 2015

Brian McFadden The Strip comic offers up variety of real-life conspiracies that American voters should be concerned about, such as current campaign financing laws, police brutality and National Security Agency spying on Americans. MORE

May. 9, 2015

Editorial questions decision by presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton to seek campaign funding through super PAC Priorities USA Action after criticizing massive campaign donations; says that while Clinton's action may have been inevitable given political climate, she will have to explain it on campaign trail; calls for Clinton to endorse Empower Act, proposal in Congress to update presidential financing system. MORE

May. 7, 2015

Hillary Clinton is poised to become first Democratic presidential candidate to embrace super PAC campaign money, aiming to level playing field with Republican contenders who already reap benefits of unlimited funds from outside groups; move ups ante in 2016 presidential race that is sure to be most costly in history of American politics. MORE

May. 5, 2015

British politicians are fascinated by American-style, big-budget campaigns but strict oversight and tight spending limits in Britain, along with ban on television and radio advertising, make them impossible to emulate. MORE

May. 5, 2015

Editorial urges New York State Senate leader Dean Skelos, charged on federal counts of bribery, extortion and fraud, to resign from his leadership post; holds that, given corruption permeating Albany, lawmakers should make reforming campaign finance laws a priority. MORE

May. 4, 2015

British hedge fund managers, with no campaign finance limits for party donations, have stepped up contributions to Britain's Conservative Party before upcoming election; records show hedge fund managers Michael Hintz and Michael Farmer have each donated roughly $2.2 million. MORE

May. 3, 2015

Federal Election Commission Chairwoman Ann M Ravel offers unusually candid opinion that agency is paralyzed and unable to reign in campaign spending abuses in 2016 presidential election due to partisan stalemate among its six commissioners; Ravel says she has resigned herself to informing public rather than continuing effort to curb violations in race, which is expected to generate record $10 billion in campaign contributions. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

Supreme Court rules 5-4 that states may not allow judicial candidates for state courts from personally asking their supporters for campaign contributions; case concerned Lanell Williams-Yulee, who was fined for signing fund-raising letter while running for seat on county court in Hillsborough County, Fla. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

Editorial welcomes Supreme Court decision upholding Florida rule barring judicial candidates from soliciting campaign donations; holds ruling is somewhat surprising given how Roberts court has supported rise of unrestricted money in politics; argues while it is only a modest victory, it serves as strong reminder of harm wrought on justice system by endless fundraising. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

Gail Collins Op-Ed column observes celebration of Supreme Court decision upholding Florida law prohibiting judges from personally soliciting donations underscores how low expectations have fallen for clean elections; notes judges can still form campaign committees to do their fund-raising; offers measures that would represent true reform of judicial elections, including public financing. MORE

Apr. 29, 2015

The Upshot; Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker, who is seeking Republican nomination in 2016 presidential race, has made gains with Republican donors that outweigh all other potential GOP candidates except Jeb Bush. MORE

Apr. 28, 2015

Advisers and donors to Wisconsin Gov Scott Walker, likely 2016 Republican candidate for president, say part of Walker's plan is to cede early fund-raising momentum to his chief rival Jeb Bush, while focusing on long game. MORE

Apr. 27, 2015

Editorial warns that Super PACs are already emerging as a decisive force in the 2016 presidential election, and that they have all but dispensed with illusion of independence; observes that Jeb Bush is considering handing over some of his campaign's central operations to Right to Rise Super PAC; laments that Federal Election Commission is unlikely to do anything about problem. MORE

Apr. 18, 2015

Recruitment of former top federal regulator Gary Gensler as chief financial officer for Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign appears to be reflection of her determination to avoid the level of overspending that plagued her 2008 campaign. MORE

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Presidential candidates have grown deeply dependent on the contributions of a tiny slice of the richest Americans as “super PACs” have raised money much more quickly than hopefuls could have on their own.

Acting as shadow campaigns, the political committees backing the major presidential candidates supported them with tens of millions of dollars in chartered planes, luxury hotel suites, opposition research, high-priced lawyers and more, spending...

A “super PAC” supporting Senator Ted Cruz received $10 million from one person — fresh evidence that the Texas Republican is a magnet for big donors and should not be underestimated, despite the polls.

Rivals from across the political aisle will share a crowd and address race relations and the Black Lives Matter movement, issues that have stirred anger and presented challenges for the 2016 candidates.